The U.S. Navy is heavily involved in ocean salvage operations, particularly the retrieval of practice torpedoes which find themselves residing on the ocean floor. The present method employed by the U.S. Navy for recovery of practice torpedoes is to utilize a tethered underwater vehicle which can be remotely operated by an operator on a surface ship utilizing television techniques. The underwater vehicle has manipulator arms which can be utilized by the operator to grab the torpedo for lift purposes. This retrieval method has been quite effective, however, it is a complex operation requiring a considerable amount of equipment and manpower.
There is a need for a recovery apparatus which is simpler to operate, and which is compatible with various methods of deployment, such as by either a manned or unmanned underwater vehicle. Also, it would be desirable to obtain a recovery apparatus which is considerably smaller in size and lighter in weight.